The Right Thing

In life, we are constantly tested, but, unlike the exams in school, the tests do not always pertain to logic. How easy would it be to solve algebraic equations: if A equals B and B is equal to C, then A equals C. Nevertheless, the formulas in real-life problem-solving are not set in stone. The majority of the most challenging situations we face have nothing to do with linear, structured forms. Instead, they involve emotions — the raw, abstract kinds. The ones that bring out our innermost longings and desires: those that open up the scars of our past, and even the parts of us, that unknowingly, still need healing. These are the complex problems that make us wonder — what if?

Since many of us want these tests solved immediately, we tend to adhere to the general conclusion that every uncomfortable or even challenging situation requires action. We want to get rid of that feeling of uncertainty or that anxiety as we try to change our current realities. Simply put, the desire to feel whole once again, to feel more human and less empty, seems to be a prerequisite to the enjoyment of life.

Most often than not, we think that these actions dispel the fear of the night and if we would just do something, anything, to make our wishes come to life, we should rush blindly into doing what we feel is good.

Nonetheless, the blueprint of life does not work that way. Most often than not, these actions catapult us back into even more complicated situations. For without the help of time, fate or the blessing of the universe, beautiful things turn jaded. That’s when we make mistakes, hurt other people, and, most likely, hurt ourselves in the process. We do this not because our intentions are impure and dishonest but because we are afraid to let go. We are afraid that if we don’t do anything, we lose, and we fail.

On the contrary, what if the real failure is not that we didn’t take action, but it is that we forget the most basic principle in our decision-making process: even if it is not easy, even if it is painful, even if it cost us our happiness, we have to choose to do the right thing.

At the end of the day, the metrics of life may not always come in the form of grades and numbers but in the mere experience of being able to live with ourselves, realising that nobility is just as beautiful as things we set free.